So when Gov. Scott Walker headlined one of the biggest Republican events of the year Thursday night, the political buzz began.

WISN 12 News reporter Kent Wainscott was in Iowa and reported that Walker's message to a crowd of Iowa Republicans was one that could have been directed to a national audience -- a message that had the party faithful thinking about the future.

"You can't win on a referendum of opposition to the president, you've got offer a positive alternative," Walker said.

The governor didn't talk about, or even hint at a possible run for the White House, but it was something on the minds of many in this audience.

"Gov. Walker is running for re-election in Wisconsin in 2014, but I think he should be given serious consideration in 2016," Republican voter Eric O'Keefe said.

The next presidential election is more than three years away, but Iowa political observers said that now is the time that candidates typically start measuring their chances there and introducing themselves to voters.

Based on the audience response there, that introduction seemed to go well for the governor, Wainscott said.

Thursday night's turnout was the largest at this event ever.

Walker didn't take any questions in Iowa, but Thursday morning, he downplayed presidential talk and said the trip was a favor to Iowa's governor.

"It's just as simple as Terry Bradstead's a good friend of mine. He did an event for me last year when I was running in the recall election. He, like other governors across the country, has asked me to attend events and sparingly when I can, so this is one of those," Walker said.

Walker said he's focused on finishing the term he's in and will make a decision next year about running for governor in 2014.

TOUR. 12 NEWS KENT WAINSCOTT IS IN DES MOINES--- KENT THIS TRIP IS SPARKING QUESTIONS WHETHER THE GOVERNOR IS TESTING THE WATERS FOR A POSSIBLE RUN FOR THE WHITE HOUSE. IOWA IS WHERE PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS BEGIN - IT'S THE STATE THAT HOLDS THE FIRST PRESIDENTIAL CONTEST EVERY FOUR YEARS. AND SO WHEN GOVERNOR SCOTT WALKER HEADLINES ONE OF THE BIGGEST REPUBLICAN EVENTS OF THE YEAR - THE POLITICAL BUZZ BEGINS. NATS - INTRO, GOV WALKER @ 7:40) HE CAME HERE AS THE GOVERNOR OF A NEIGHBORING STATE, BUT SCOTT WALKER'S MESSAGE TO A CROWD OF IOWA REPUBLICANS, WAS ONE THAT COULD HAVE BEEN DIRECTED TO A NATIONAL AUDIENCE. A MESSAGE THAT HAD THE PARTY FAITHFUL THINKING ABOUT THE FUTURE. 7:57:20 YOU CAN'T WIN ON A REFERENDUM OF OPPOSITION TO THE PRESIDENT, YOU'VE GOT OFFER A POSITIVE ALTERNATIVE. THE GOVERNOR DIDN'T TALK ABOUT, OR EVEN HINT AT A POSSIBLE RUN FOR THE WHITE HOUSE, BUT IT WAS SOMETHING ON THE MINDS OF MANY IN THIS AUDIENCE. ERIC O'KEEFE - GOV WALKER IS RUNNING FOR RE ELECTION IN WI IN 2014, BUT I INK HE SHOULD BE GIVEN SERIOUS CONSIDERATION IN 2016. MARY WHISENAND - HE'S ELOQUENT, THOUGHTFUL, PRINCIPLED AND THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE WANT. IT WAS ALSO ON THE MINDS OF HIS CRITICS, SOME WHO CAME HERE FROM WISCONSIN, TO BLAST WALKER AT A NEWS CONFERENCE PRIOR TO THE GOVERNORS SPEECH. WE ALL KNOW WHAT SCOTT WALKER THINKS ABOUT RIGHTS. THE RIGHTS OF 175,000 WORKERS TAKEN AWAY. BUT THE PRESIDENTIAL BUZZ WASN'T LIMITED TO THIS EVENT. ONE POLITICAL ANALYST TOLD US WALKER IS CONSIDERED BY MANY IN THIS STATE AS A POTENTIAL GOP CANDIDATE IN 2016. DAVID COCHRANE / LORAS COLLEGE - HE IS IN THAT DISCUSSION. HE'S PROBABLY NOT IN THE TOP TIER, BUT HE'S WITHIN SHOUTING DISTANCE. AND IF HE CONTINUES TO TEST THE POLITICAL WATERS HERE, IT WILL MEAN MORE VISITS LIKE THIS - WITH A MESSAGE FOR HIS PARTY THAT PLAYS BEYOND WISCONSIN'S BORDERS. 7:56:54 OPTIMISM RELAVANCE AND COURAGE IN 2014, 2016 AND BEYOND. THE NEXT PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IS MORE THAN THREE YEARS AWAY, BUT IOWA POLITICAL OBSERVERS SAY THAT NOW IS THE TIME THAT CANDIDATES TYPICALLY START MEASURING THEIR CHANCES HERE -- AND INTRODUCING THEMSELVES TO VOTERS. BASED ON THE AUDIENCE RESPONSE HERE, THAT INTRODUCTION SEEMED TO GO WELL FOR THE GOVERNOR. KENT HOW DID THIS TURNOUT COMPARE TO OTHER CANDIDATES WHO'VE SPOKEN AT THIS EVENT IN THE PAST? THIS IS THE LARGEST EVER. LIVE IN DES MOINES IOWA IM KENT WAINSCOTT WISN 12 NEWS.